OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 16, 2013

COACH MEYER:Â The champions of the game on defense, only had two, Christian Bryant graded out as champion and Joey Bosa, defensive player of the game, true freshman, played almost 80 plays.Â Christian Bryant played 92 plays, obviously a lot of football there, and those are the champions on defense.
On offense, I thought our guys played very well.Â Executed at a very, very high level.Â Offensive line, we had three champions, Jack Mewhort, Marcus Hall and Taylor Decker, which he's come a long way from that first game and tight end, Jeff Heuerman, I don't believe he had any catches, but a lot of the big runs on the edge were because of him, and Evan Spencer who I'll get to here in a minute.
Jordan Hall graded at champion, three touchdowns, playing very well for us and we had four wide receivers, maybe the first time since we've been here.Â That's the way it should be.Â Philly Brown graded out a champion, had seven catches.
Evan Spencer, called him up in front, we had a 6:00 team meeting this morning.Â I had Evan Spencer, I called him out, that's one of the best efforts I've ever seen a wide receiver play, and I'm not talking about the ball in his hand.
Tried to get it to him a few times but his blocking of the safeties was as good as I've ever seen.Â Devin Smith, three big hits for 151 yards, he graded as champion, and Chris Fields, one touchdown, but he graded at champion as well.Â Offensive player of the game was our quarterback, Kenny Guiton, did very well.Â So very pleased with our team win.Â Special teams, Player of the Week was Pitt Brown, did very well.Â Jamal Marcus played very well.
And there are some things that we have to continue that we are just not real dynamic in the kicking game right now and that has to improve obviously as we get into this game and then obviously the Big Ten season.Â So very pleased with their effort.
And that was a tough trip.Â That was awful coming home and we got, rolled in our driveway at 6:00 in the morning, and old guys can't sleep on planes very well.Â So it was a very tough trip, but very much easier to make that trip home after a W.Â So I'll answer any questions for you. Q.Â Other people will look at this next game you've got, FCS, do you think it makes any difference to the players who you're playing that you can get what you need out of them to be prepared for conference play next week?
COACH MEYER:Â It does make a difference.Â I could give you some coach-speak up here; it does make a difference.
So we are going to have to really coach them hard this week.Â I haven't studied them well enough yet but I think there are some very good athletes we are going to face, but it does absolutely‑‑ these players are smarter than coaches, so we need to do a very good job of coaching this week and not look past a team that has‑‑ you see it all the time.Â There's going to be one every year, maybe two every year, and it can't be this one this week. Q.Â The quarterback situation, certainly it's early in the week, and you haven't seen Braxton practice yet, but in your mind, you said last week, if he was healthy, he was going to play; obviously he wasn't.Â If he is healthy this week, would you put him in there?
COACH MEYER:Â Absolutely.Q.Â Or is he deferred‑‑ for conference play?
COACH MEYER:Â Braxton, we've got a lot of work to do.Â So, no, if he's ready, he'll play this week. Q.Â Carlos Hyde has been in at least three games; is he going to be back this week?
COACH MEYER:Â As of right now he's back.Â We're anxious, he's done a really‑‑ good job.Â He's running the scout team the entire time.Â Has had a very good attitude, taken care of his business in the classroom and we are anxious to get Carlos back.Q.Â With the way Jordan has been playing, does it allow you to move Jordan around?
COACH MEYER:Â I don't know.Â Been thinking about that.Â It's a good issue to have, because Carlos did a lot for us a year ago, a lot.Â He's a very talented running back and that was hard.
That was hard on everybody.Â It was hard on Carlos most of all, but it was hard on all of us, too, because Carlos did a lot of good things, and that whole situation‑‑ I don't know.Â I'll answer that later in the week.
But Jordan Hall certainly has earned the right to touch the ball in a big way, so I'm not sure yet. Q.Â You were talking about watching the video of Cal's offense against your defense and stuff.Â Does it make you kind of couch some tackling problems and things like that?Â Did you see problems there that you saw a year ago, or is it‑‑
COACH MEYER:Â I thought Ryan Shazier had, I think four or five missed tackles.Â And the thing that I always look at is effort.Â If there's an effort issue, which I felt like at one time last year, there was, a bad one, and I don't believe there's an effort issue.Â Matter of fact, I thought our guys played very hard.
There were some missed tackles.Â I want to say we had 16‑‑ single‑digit missed tackles and Shazier was a culprit.Â Remember last year, he was a big culprit, and he overruns it and they were cutting back on it.Â So the good thing is, that's all ‑‑ he can learn to do that.Â It's not effort or courage or anything like that.
So missed tackles are a problem and we caused triggering on a screen, so the screens that hurt us were you sit back and linemen release to block players, as long as they are sitting back, you'll get blocked.Â The ones that trigger, like Bradley Roby I remember in the second quarter came in made a great play, that's called triggering on a screen.Â That's something we have to get better at.Q.Â As you're getting readyfor Florida A&M, is there anybody that jumps out at you on their side of the ball?
COACH MEYER:Â Florida A&M?Â I have not had enough time.Â We are still wrapping up this one.Â That's what we do today. Q.Â These games that are like kind of, look on paper at least to be mismatches, are those difficult?Â These are not the fans favorite games.Â I'm thinking maybe they are probably not the coaches favorite games, either, as far as coaching and getting their players ready.
COACH MEYER:Â I've coached in a few games where I was I a 21‑point underdog and those are not real fun to go coaching, either.Â Been a while since I had one of those.
No, I'm anxious ‑‑ right now I think there's a good culture in this program of, to earn playing time, to earn touches, to earn catches, to earn throws; to earn anything, you have to perform very well in practice and that's all I care about.Â I don't want to say they are faceless opponents, because they are not.Â Of course they are not.
But right now, this time last year, we had a real problem, and the real problem was there was a culture offensively that I didn't‑‑ I couldn't stomach.Â It was one that was just‑‑ you saw it.
This time around, I'm seeing guys fighting for the football, and the way to do it is go out and practice really, really hard.Â So he is that all I've got my mind on now is I can't wait to go out and practice again.
We're going to take some of the older players‑‑ I'm going to give them ‑‑ they had to work out and get their schedule a little bit.Â But that was tough, to get home at 6:00 AM.Â I gave them yesterday off.Â Today they had to get some workout in and some other stuff did done, and the young players who didn't play are going out and practice a little bit today and then tomorrow we'll go out full speed ahead.Q.Â Is it easier, not a faceless opponent, but almost like you guys are competing against yourselves right now; that‑‑
COACH MEYER:Â Suppositions are ‑‑ that's every coach's dream, you're darned right.Â It is every coach's dream is to have competition at a position.
Unfortunately there's some units that there's no competition.Â I wish our linebacker unit had a little more depth right now and they don't.Â There's not people competing trying to go take a spot.Â When you do, that's when you see these incredible performances because people are working that hard. Q.Â What about quarterback, is there more competition right now than you anticipated there would be?
COACH MEYER:Â Kenny Guiton has earned some time.Â He did a nice job. Q.Â When did you know for sure that Braxton wouldn't be able to play on Saturday and will that be a similar time line now moving forward this week?
COACH MEYER:Â I know the MCL injury very well, and he had a great one, grade two, which means those things heal.Â With lineman you could probably get in there quicker.Â Immobile quarterback, you can probably get them in there quicker.
For who Braxton is as a player, I kind of in my heart knew it was going to be hard but I kept in my hope up that he would be ready in an emergency situation.Â Quarterbacks are always thinking, a pair and a spare.Â If you're down to your pair, the second one, who's next.
With Braxton, I kept talking, thinking, all week, okay, he want to probably start Kenny, but at least I have 5 ready to go and five, you know, we kept‑‑ I knew probably Thursday was going to be a long shot.Â And then Friday, it didn't a look good and then Saturday we tried it one more time and if just wasn't stable. Q.Â I guess two weeks ago, we spent a lot of time saying, does the offense change dramatically when Kenny goes in.Â Are there actually things that Kenny does better than Braxton at this point?
COACH MEYER:Â Probably certain things.Â I think Kenny is a natural option quarterback, Braxton is not quite as natural pitching the ball.Â I would say that's probably the one area that Kenny excels at.Â I mean, there's a couple that were‑‑ right now, in the last two games, we've ran more option than we've run in a long time. Q.Â Kenny, he has a feel for that, is that what you're talking about?
COACH MEYER:Â When you say the word distributor, he's a distributor.Â He does a nice job; when something comes to me, I get rid of the ball.Â Very good at that.Â That's not easy.Â There's a quarterbacks I've had, that's not natural to them, to option. Q.Â How close is this offense, both in terms of weapons and in terms of pace, to being what you envision being this offense being?
COACH MEYER:Â That was the first time.Â Good question, that was the first time that I saw what you guys probably saw.Â We are going very good tempo.Â I think Tom Herman feels better now.Â Last year we didn't feel that way.
It's very complicated to put in a no‑huddle.Â That's why I gave so much credit to Cal.Â To think that they got that in, and we weren't able to do that.Â It takes a while to get the tempo the way you want it, and that's not just quarterback, everyone position, to get the signal, get lined up and go at a good tempo.Â The tempo and production from the skilled athletes are getting close.Q.Â Did Braxton try to fight you as far as playing Saturday?
COACH MEYER:Â Oh, I can't he, he wanted to be in there.Â But he knew.Â He didn't fight me, but he knew that it wasn't‑‑ it wasn't the right thing to do. Q.Â Is it possible Braxton would sit again?
COACH MEYER:Â I don't think so.Â I'll know more.Â He's actually working out here pretty soon, and I'd say there's a pretty good chance‑‑ I don't want to give a percentage.Â He's probable to play this week. Q.Â Is it unusual, seems unusual, you have two quarterbacks as captains.Â Does that strengthen that or does it confuse players on who is our leader kind of thing?
COACH MEYER:Â I think it would if there was personality conflicts, if there was agendas.Â There's certainly none here.Â And so I don't think there's any confusion whatsoever. Q.Â With what you do know, when Braxton does get back on the field, do you expect the Braxton of old or is there anything‑‑ is that the kind of thing that can linger?
COACH MEYER:Â It can linger.Â It can linger and that's something that we have to be smart, and I'll have to evaluate that as we go.Â The lateral movement is not the straight ahead.Â I think straight ahead, he can go right now.Â It's the lateral.Â Month.Â The MCL is the medial collateral ligament on the inside of your leg, so you just have to watch it.Q.Â What you've been talking about with the idea that you would still try to get Kenny in somehow, on some level, that's remarkable to think about that you have a quarterback that people thought was the Heisman Trophy favorite coming into the season, and yet you may have a backup quarterback that you feel deserves to be on the field in some way.Â Can they be on the field together?
COACH MEYER:Â We didn't have that dilemma a year ago; or not dilemma, but luxury.Â So I have not really done that, but we're in conversation about that right now.Â If he's one of the best 11, you have an obligation to get him on the field a little bit.Â And if‑‑ I haven't said he's one of the best 11 yet, but that's something we are in the process of as coaches to ID that.
The good thing is, once again, there are some choices now.Â You have some‑‑ I just fast forward or push rewind one year and think about the development of Evan Spencer.Â Breaks my heart, the way he played in that game, if someone could give him a touchdown, he deserved‑‑ for the way he played in that game, just didn't happen.
But then you had Devin Smith, Evan Spencer, Philly Brown and Chris Fields, and Jeff Heuerman is another guy who deserves a ball in his hand.Â It's a great issue to have, is good players that need to get on the field.Q.Â Is there any lesson for any backup on this team or any backup out there anywhere?
COACH MEYER:Â Same as he proved last year‑‑ and when he did the thing against Purdue, that's a lesson, these kids probably heard it six or seven thousand times, because it is.
I did an interview one time; it's arguably one of the most interesting case studies I've ever had as a coach is the story of Kenny Guiton.Â And if you knew where he was January a year and a half ago‑‑ I'm a parent, so you go right to thinking‑‑ can you imagine being his parent right now, how cool that would be, to see his development.Â If you buy stock, buy stock in Kenny Guiton, because what's he going to do after football some day; it's going to be really neat.Q.Â People talk about depth a lot of time and players, but you have a deep coaching staff.Â I'm wondering if you had to go without one of your coaches like Florida A&M expects to, their offensive coordinator has been hospitalized, I wonder what you would have to do to make adjustments?
COACH MEYER:Â That's something I hope does not happen.Â When I put the staff together, I try to hire two coordinators on each side, that's important to me, because we've had a history of guys moving on to be head coaches, and I want to promote from within.Â I don't want to go out and restart.Â Restarting's hard.Â And so that was built ‑‑ when I hired Everett Withers, it was for a reason and when I hired Ed Warner, it was for a reason, both co‑coordinator title.Â So I don't want to be stuck without a guy that can call plays or call defenses.Q.Â How much harder do you think it will make it to anticipate what Florida A&M might do?
COACH MEYER:Â I'm sorry, I didn't even know.Â You lose‑‑ you said coordinator? Q.Â Their offensive coordinator has missed the last two games after being hospitalized and the latest‑‑
COACH MEYER:Â I didn't know, that's a tough situation.Â You know, one time, we lost the game against Auburn, my offensive coordinator had appendicitis like the night before.Â He came back for the game but it wasn't‑‑ so that's a problem. Q.Â I wanted to ask you specifically about the offensive line, you mentioned Bosa, the game he had, getting his first start, and also Chris Carter, if I remember correctly, came in the first play and made the tackle.Â Can you take me through the depth of your development there, some of the younger guys and the luxuries it's giving you now?
COACH MEYER:Â Adolphus Washington went down, who we think is one of our better players and a true freshman, jumps in there, plays 78 plays and gets a defensive Player of the Week.Â That's good recruiting and good development by Mike Vrabel and he does have some depth there.
We can play better, but the fact that you lose Tommy Schutt and you lose Adolphus Washington for a couple games and are still able to keep a rotation going‑‑Q.Â Inaudible.
COACH MEYER:Â Adolphus is questionable for this week and shut is out.Â Schutt is a mid‑year guy because of the surgery on his foot.Q.Â Talked a lot about development today.Â Devin Smith's from a year ago, is his development more physical or mental?
COACH MEYER:Â Oh, boy, pretty talented guy and remember he had a good game against Cal a year ago and then disappeared for a while.Â With Devin, it's consistency.Â Certainly not talent; very talented guy, wonderful young guy to be around, just every week showing up with that eye of the Tiger, and when he does, he's a really good player.Q.Â Has he bought in?
COACH MEYER:Â Oh, yeah, he's bought in.Â I don't want to say he's young.Â He's a junior now.Â He's bought in.Â He's a wonderful guy to coach, great kid, great family.Â He just needs to be consistent. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports